Last Request
by Jonathan 81
Summary: (Complete) Raphael heads home from the movie theater only to find an injured Leonardo. Warning: Character Death. Enjoy. R/R


Title: Last Request  
Rating:PG-13  
Author:White Werewolf  
Summery:Raphael heads home from the movie theater only to find an injured Leonardo, and a conversation happens.  
Disclaimer:TMNT is owned by Eastman, Laird, and Mirage Studios  
Special Thanks:Brooke, Cobra, and Ozmandayus  
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********  
Hoyts Theater  
Manhattan, New York  
January 21, 2003  
10:00 PM  
********  
  
Raphael lowered the front of his fedora and brought the collar of his trench up to cover his head more. Then he tightly wrapped the belt around his body to cover his yellow chest, and sai.  
  
He looked up into the night sky. There were too many lights to see the natural beauty of the universe. But that didn't bother him; he had seen the stars plenty of times. Splinter taught him about the constellations, and how people of the past used mythology to base them on.  
  
Raphael walked down the sidewalks with the lampposts shining on the back of his trenchcoat. He stuck his hands in the front two pockets as he strolled down the sidewalk.  
  
The air was filled with the roar of cars. They kept speeding down their proper lanes. He could see the colors of the cars as they went by. There were red, white, blue, and purple.  
  
'That was a good movie,' he mused to himself, 'who knew Spider-Man would kick ass? Well, Mikey for sure, he loves his comics.' It was a shame that he couldn't come with Raphael to the movies because he had chores to deal with.  
  
Michaelangelo was a procrastinator. He would always leave things to the last minute, and rush to complete them. Never knowing the proper way to complete his chores. Donatello, on the other hand, was back at the lair inventing something, but Raphael didn't know what, and frankly, he really didn't care. Splinter would be meditating or something. And Leonardo? He didn't know what he was doing tonight. But one thing for sure is that he knew Leonardo could take care of himself.  
  
All of a sudden, he heard a noise. It was low, faint, but he could hear it nevertheless. Raphael knew what he had to do. The turtle had to enter stealth mode.  
  
He looked around, and the sound seemed to be coming from thr nearby park. Raphael jumped onto a lamppost. All the time staying in the dark. When it was clear, the turtle jumped off the post and ran to behind a tree. He looked again, and when it was clear, he ran from tree to tree. Always staying in the dark, using the skills of Ninjitsu.  
  
The sound was getting closer. He looked to the source and found a body lying on the ground by a few bushes.  
  
When the coast was clear Raphael stepped out from behind the tree, and walked over to the fallen body, and his eyes widened at who he saw. "Leo," he called out, and bent down to inspect the body. There was a knife sticking out of his chest. He placed his hand under his brother's head. "Speak to me, Leo."  
  
Leonardo didn't respond.  
  
"C'mon, Leonardo. Talk to me."  
  
Leonardo's eyes fluttered open, but his sight was blurry. "Whose there?" he asked in a raspy voice.  
  
Raphael grabbed his right hand with both hands. "Leo, it's Raphael."  
  
"Raph?"  
  
The red banded turtle nodded, "Yeah, Leo. It's me."  
  
"How?"  
  
His brother answered, "Heard you moaning a mile away."  
  
The leader tried to say something, but couldn't. Instead, his head rolled back, and eyes closed.  
  
"Leo." Nothing. "C'mon, Leo." Still nothing.  
  
Raphael had to do something. He had to get his brother back to the lair. So, he slid his hands underneath Leonardo's shell and stood up, bringing him upward, carrying him in his arms. "Don't worry, bro. Master Splinter will help you."  
  
With that said, Raphael carried Leonardo into the sewer system.  
  
********  
Turtle Sewer Lair  
9:46 PM  
********  
  
"It's your ball, Donny." Michaelangelo said after he got the ball from out of bounds, and tossed it to him.  
  
"Thanks, Mikey." He caught the ball, and started to dribble down the court. As soon as he reached the center, he turned around and headed to the basket. All the time with Michaelangelo blocking him.  
  
Donatello had the ball, and shot it for the basket. The ball went up   
in the air, and it bounced on the rim for a few seconds, then fell in. "Nothing but net," he said to his brother. "That's 10 to10, Mikey. One more and I win."  
  
Michaelangelo took the ball from the purple banded turtle, and went to the beginning spot. Then, he started to dribble, and he charged for the basket, "The fat lady's about to sing, dude."  
  
Donatello had a plan in mind. He got right in front of his brother, and stole the ball. "She's about to sing alright, but for not for me, for you."  
  
The inventor took the ball in his right hand and jumped toward the backboard. He shot it to the square that was on the backboard, and it bounced off into the basket. "And that's game."  
  
"Good game, bro." He said with a grin, "want to play again?"  
  
"Sure. Up to 11?"  
  
The orange banded turtle nodded, "That's fine."  
  
Donatello passed him the ball, and he was about to take it out, when Splinter said, "Donatello, Michaelangelo, come in here right now.  
  
The two brothers looked at each other with weird glances. "What do you think he wants?"  
  
The inventor shrugged, "Beats me, Mikey. We better go."  
  
His brother nodded, and the two went into the main room. "What's wrong, Master Splinter?" Asked Michaelangelo as they stepped through the sewer opening.  
  
The two brothers' eyes widened when they saw Raphael carrying Leonardo. "What happened, Raph?" Donatello asked with extreme urgency.  
  
Raphael walked over to Leonardo's bed, and lied him down. "Dunno, Donny. I was coming home from the movies when I heard some moaning. I went to where it was coming from, and saw Leonardo on the ground with this knife in his chest."  
  
Splinter walked over to his injured son, and examined the wound. He glanced at the turtle's face, and said, "This may hurt you, my son. But it's for your own good." With that said, the rat grabbed hold of the knife with his right hand. A powerful tug later, the knife was out of Leonardo's body.  
  
The pain woke Leonardo up. He tried to get up into a sitting position, but his sensei stopped him. "You better stay there, my son. Save your strength."  
  
All Leonardo could do was nod.  
  
Splinter took the knife, and spotted traces of a blue substance at the tip. He sniffed it, and immediately recognized it. The rat looked at the fallen turtle, and said, "How long ago was the fight, Leonardo?"  
  
Leonardo glanced at the clock hanging on the farthest wall. "Two hours."  
  
His sensei didn't like that for an answer. He looked at Raphael, Michaelangelo, and Donatello. Then at Leonardo. "I'm afraid I have bad news for you, Leonardo."  
  
"What sort of bad news?" Donatello asked the teacher.  
  
He decided to be honest, and tell them the truth. "The blue substance is a poison called Razolin."  
  
"Can you cure him, Master Splinter?"  
  
Splinter sight, "Afraid not, Michaelangelo. Raphael reached him too late. If Leonardo was taken to me an hour ago, then maybe we could have saved him."  
  
Raphael gulped, "You mean he's going to die?"  
  
"It appears that way, Raphael. There's nothing I can do."  
  
Leonardo responded with tears in his eyes, "I don't want to die, Master Splinter."  
  
"Me neither." Donatello chimed in.  
  
He turned to his standing students, "Can I have a moment alone with Leonardo?"  
  
The healthy turtles nodded in agreement. With that said, the three turtles left their sensei with his son. Splinter sat beside Leonardo on the bed, "Do you remember how this happened?"  
  
Leonardo nodded, "I was patrolling Kennedy Park when two robbers jumped me. I fought them with all my strength, but it wasn't enough. I saw one of them pull a knife off of his waist, and he flung it my chest. Hence its current state."  
  
Splinter grabbed hold of his right hand. It was cold and clammy. He had to be strong, so he would not cry. "What you told me sounds like Razolin.   
I want you to know Leonardo that I am very proud of you. You have been a model son."  
  
With all his strength, Leonardo pulled himself into a sitting position. "How long do I have?"  
  
The rat gave it some thought, and replied, "About an hour. Maybe a little more."  
  
Tears were welling in his eyes. "Alright, Master Splinter. I might as well live this hour with the people I love. I truly am grateful to have had a sensei like you. I don't think I could've been the leader I was without you."  
  
The teacher smiled weakly. He caressed the side of his face. "I love you, my son." Then he pulled him into a hug. "I'm going to let the others talk to you. They should have some time with their brother."  
  
He nodded, "That sounds nice. You can send them in. Make sure you send Raphael in last."  
  
Splinter got up from his spot and headed for the sewer opening. He turned back to face his son. The rat could see Leonardo as a child in his eyes. "Consider it done, my son. You have never proved me wrong, Leonardo.   
I am lucky to know you."  
  
Then he left to send a brother of his in.  
  
Michaelangelo walked into the room, and saw his brother sitting up with his back touching the wall. "How you feeling, dude?"  
  
He smiled slightly, "I've been better."  
  
"I'm sure you've been better." Mikey said as he sat down beside his brother. Much like his sensei did before.  
  
"I told you I was."  
  
"You are correct, Leo," he said with a grin. "I want to tell you something."  
  
"Go ahead, Mikey. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
He nodded, "I love you, Leo. Throughout recent years, I have come to respect you. Whenever I'm alone or scared. Whether against Shredder, Rat King, Leatherhead, or some robbers. I think what would Leonardo do. You're my hero, dude."  
  
Leonardo's eyes were getting wet, "Mikey."  
  
The orange banded turtle forced Leonardo into a hug, "I'm going to miss you."  
  
"I'm going to miss you too." He said patting his shell.  
  
"You're the only one that hasn't made fun of me. Donny and Raph do at times, but you never did. I love you for that. I don't know what I'm going to do with you gone."  
  
Leonardo sighed, "You're going to find a way. You're going to have to. But, I'll always be a part of you, Michaelangelo," he pointed to his heart, "I'll be there. With you to the end of time, Mikey."  
  
Michaelangelo nodded, "That's good to know, dude." He turned to the clock, "I better go. Let Donny and Raph talk to you."  
  
"Alright."  
  
With that said, Michaelangelo headed for the opening. "I'll never forget you, bro." Then he left.  
  
Soon, Donatello came into the room, and smiled weakly to his brother. "Hey, Leo."  
  
Leonardo pulled himself into a sitting position, "Hey, Donny."  
  
Donatello needed to know something, "Can I ask you a question?"  
  
"Of course. What's your question?"  
  
"Why didn't you call any of us on the Turtle Com? We would've backed you up."  
  
Leo nodded, "I know, Donny. I was going to call someone, but one of   
the robbers shot it out of my hand with their gun. I couldn't get to it in time to try and call for backup."  
  
"That makes sense."  
  
The blue banded turtle nodded, "I should hope so."  
  
"Does it hurt?"  
  
He shrugged, "Not so much. But, I know it's there, and that my time's almost up."  
  
"How much longer?"  
  
Leonardo was having trouble to breath, but it soon passed. "According to   
Master Splinter, I got a half hour left. Give or take a few minutes."  
  
"Don't you love modern science?" The purple banded turtle asked sarcastically.  
  
He smiled, "You know I do."  
  
Donatello looked at the clock, "I should go, Leo. Let Raphael talk to you."  
  
The leader nodded, "Fine. One thing though, Donatello."  
  
With the mention of his whole name, Donatello knew he was serious.   
"What is it, Leonardo?"  
  
"I love you, Donny. Never forget that."  
  
The inventor went and hugged his brother, and with tears in his eyes, he said, "I love you, too. Always will. I better go."  
  
"See you in the afterlife, bro." Leonardo said as his brother left the room.  
  
Leonardo could feel himself getting warm. His forehead was getting sweaty which meant that the poison was spreading. He knew he didn't have that much time.  
  
The turtle hated that he was about to die. It wasn't normal for sixteen-year-olds to die early. But he was angry with himself. He was angry that he couldn't take down the two robbers. Especially after all the training he's done by himself and by his sensei. There was nothing he could do, so he just accepted his fate.  
  
Raphael entered the room with a frown on his face, "Hi, Leo."  
  
He smiled, "Hi, Raph."  
  
The red banded turtle approached his brother. He sighed, "I want to tell you that I'm sorry."  
  
Leonardo shook his head, "You don't have to be sorry."  
  
This time Raphael shook his head, "I do, Leo. I should've came faster instead of taking my sweet time walking. If I did, then maybe we could've saved you."  
  
"Don't do this, Raph. Don't blame yourself. You couldn't of known."  
  
Raphael looked at the ground, "I just feel so helpless. You're stuck in bed, about to die, and there's nothing we can do."  
  
"There is something, Raph."  
  
The tone of his voice made him a little happier. "What can I do for you, Leo?"  
  
Leonardo answered honestly, "I've talked to everyone within the last fifty minutes. And, I don't have anything to regret. But, Donatello and Michaelangelo need a leader. Someone to lead them against the crime in Manhattan. As my last request, I want you, Raphael to take over as leader."  
  
Raphael just stared at his brother, "You want me to be leader? I don't   
know if I could do that."  
  
"Come over to me, Raphael."  
  
Raphael obeyed, and walked over to his brother. "Yeah?"  
  
"Through the last few years, I've seen you, watched you, and saw how you've improved training wise as well as compassion wise. You can do this. I want you to be leader."  
  
The red banded turtle knew that he shouldn't argue with his brother.   
He needed to cherish the remaining time he had with Leonardo. "Alright,   
Leo. I'll do it."  
  
He smiled, "That's great, Raphael." His eyes were getting tired, "I need to rest."  
  
The turtle nodded, "Sure. You should sleep. I'll tell everyone that you want me to take over."  
  
He closed his eyes to rest, "I love you, Raphael."  
  
"I love you, too, Leonardo."  
  
And with that said, Leonardo's eyes closed for the last time. Raphael watched as his breathing slowed down.  
  
Raphael kissed his forehead, "Good bye, Leonardo." He said with tears in his eyes.  
  
And with that, he left the room to tell his brothers and sensei   
Leonardo's last request. That he wanted him to take over as leader. 


End file.
